by Christine Lorraine Morgan ~ March 29, 2022

“Riehl Gardens is Beautiful” was a perfect slogan for this former business because it truly lived up to that statement.

Visiting Riehl Gardens on Sterrettania Road in Erie County, PA was an experience that one did not soon forget. This sprawling garden center featured an incredibly extensive selection of colors and varieties of flowers that was unparalleled for nearly two decades, from the mid-1990s to around 2014.

Owner Chip Riehl accentuated his ever-expanding floral inventory with 30-second vignettes on a local broadcast TV channel, offering gardening and growing tips to viewers as The Riehl Gardner.

When he was asked about his memories of Riehl Gardens, Chip recalled, “My favorite time there was just after sunrise. Flowers were opening and fragrance was at its height. There was dew on everything. Lots of birds. It was beautiful.”

And he wasn’t kidding about it being beautiful. To commemorate the scenic spot that once was Riehl Gardens, please enjoy this collection of photos which were captured by local advertising agency Ad Ventures from 2001 to about 2003.